Today’s episode is perfect for cyberpunk and Sci-Fi fans – join us as we discuss Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton. (Transcript)

In today’s episode…

Arwen Elys Dayton’s new book Stronger, Faster and More Beautifulis a collection of six stories spanning a couple hundred years of human experimentation with genetic modification. Six teens provide different perspectives on the social, emotional, and political implications of this brave new world.

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Episode highlights…

Spoiler-Free

*1:20 We loved the premise and the narrative voices in this book

*3:33 We nerd out about anagrams

*5:45 We have a lengthy discussion regarding the rape scenes in this book, and the larger implications of the portrayal of sexual assault in literature

More ideas and resources for teachers and librarians…

This book raises a lot of big issues like bodily autonomy, personhood, bio-medical ethics, and consent. One great resource Danielle mentions in the episode is a video analogizing consent and tea, which we think is a great example to show in the classroom.

Amanda brings up the very important point that while students can very easily understand the concept of “no means no”, studies show that people often fail to account for other factors such as sobriety. A great way to illustrate to students what informed consent looks like is through a quiz like thisthat presents many different scenarios.

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